Conserving Manta Rays & Sustaining Local Communities - Sustainability Management
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COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK
Conserving Manta Rays
& Sustaining Local
Communities
Building a Business Plan and Ecotourism Program for Planeta Oceano
Capstone Team
Advisor
Dolores De La Cruz Simran Kaur Dr. Robert Cook
Andrew Greenspan Brandon Lopez
Ellen Griesemer Alex Margolick Date Issued
Max Hsu Mah Sissoko Spring 2018
This report was produced by Masters of Science in Sustainability Management students during the Spring 2018 Capstone Workshop at Columbia University. The research, supporting documents and written contributions to the report were produced by Dolores De La Cruz, Andrew Greenspan, Ellen Griesemer, Max Hsu, Simran Kaur, Brandon Lopez, Alex Margolick and Mah Sissoko. It was produced under the guidance of Dr. Robert Cook. Acknowledgements The Columbia University Capstone Workshop team would like to thank Planeta Océano and in particular, Director Kerstin Forsberg for the opportunity to produce this report. We would like to acknowledge the many contributions of Planeta Océano staff, experts and members of the Tumbes community interviewed for this report, who shared their knowledge and expertise with us. We would like to thank: Mirella Ancajima, Planeta Océano; Edgardo Cruz Zapata, Tumbes fisher; Victor More Purizaca, Tumbes fisher; Wilmer Purizaca Ayala, Planeta Océano Field Coordinator; Jans Huayca, StategiK; and experts from several NGOs.
Table of Contents
4 Executive Summary
7 Introduction
10 Ecotourism Project Background
10 Business Plan for Ecotourism
●● Vision and Mission
●● SWOT Analysis
●● Organizational and Business Objectives
●● Strategy
●● Action Plan
16 Program Structure
●● Program-Specific Recommendations
●● General Program Recommendations
23 University Survey
27 Marketing
29 Global Giving
30 Finance
●● Fee Calculator for Eco/Voluntourism Programs
●● Financial Projections
33 Organizational Recommendations
●● General Financial Management Recommendations
●● Financial Management Software
●● Human Resource Management
38 Conclusion
40 References
44 Appendices A-C
3
Executive Summary
Since 2007, Peruvian non-profit Planeta Océano has actively engaged in marine conservation,
research and advocacy. The organization has rallied around the giant manta ray as a flagship
species, as the northern coast of Peru boasts the largest populations of the vulnerable and
understudied species world-wide (Neme, 2016). By increasing awareness, education and
advocating for conservation legislation for giant manta rays, Planeta works to serve wider
marine conservation goals in the region.
In addition to its environmental impacts, Planeta aims to positively impact the northern
coastal community in Tumbes, Peru. Key features of their model include education initiatives
and providing members of the community with opportunities for an alternative sustainable
livelihood to fishing.
Planeta engaged the Columbia University team to increase its impact. The organization is
developing international volunteer programs in partnership with affiliate NGOs and hopes to
roll out its own standalone programs. Planeta sought recommendations from the Columbia
team regarding environmentally and socially conscious programs, associated finances,
feasibility of targeting U.S. and other universities for partnerships, as well as financial and
human resource recommendations regarding the organization as a whole. In order to promote
and amass funding for their ecotourism/voluntourism program, the team, in collaboration with
Planeta, drafted a crowdfunding campaign through the Global Giving platform, a nonprofit that
connects donors with grassroots projects around the world, which has since gone live and raised
several thousand dollars. The team interviewed numerous experts and stakeholders, including
referenced NGOs, fishers, university contacts, and peer organizations across different sectors
to gather the necessary information.
The report and following appendices offer detailed recommendations across these topics which
are summarized here. By implementing these recommendations, Planeta can begin building
the Tumbes programs that provide alternative/supplemental livelihoods to fishers in the
community and educate larger audiences about giant manta and marine conservation.
4
1. Planeta saw benefits in implementing an ecotourism/voluntourism program in hopes of
raising giant manta ray conservation awareness, educating participants of the importance of
biodiversity, and financially benefiting the local community. Planeta successfully tested a pilot
program that contracted local fishers as paid tour guides of the manta-rich Tumbes coast,
and reached out to the team for help in further developing their program. The team developed
both single-day and week-long program schedules and created supplemental instructions for
implementation. Key program recommendations include:
●● Broaden target markets to include locals, and offer multiple programs tailored to needs
of each market segment
●● Implement planned programs in phases to maximize organizational capabilities
●● Develop safety and customer service training procedures for fishers
●● Leverage social media and visual marketing campaigns to reach target audiences
2. Planeta envisions building long-term partnerships with universities in order to maintain
the sustainability of their ecotourism/voluntourism program. To assess the feasibility of
establishing partnerships with universities, the team surveyed a number of representatives
from university contacts across the United States. Based on the survey responses, the team has
developed recommendations for building university partnerships:
●● Universities tend to partner with organizations with whom their faculty have established
relationships. To increase market share in student-focused voluntourism programs,
participate in conferences and study abroad fairs, or host on-site seminars to network
with faculty.
●● Due to university program length requirements, consider alternative solutions for
short-term volunteer travel abroad, and use the initial program structure as a template
to be built out in the future.
●● Given the participation of university faculty in international study abroad programs,
and the various university requirements, consider including professor-led activities/
lectures in programs, and be prepared to be flexible with program criteria, itineraries,
and length.
3. A fee calculator has been created as a tool to enable Planeta to determine the appropriate
program fees to charge participants for programs. Importantly, it is not designed to advise
Planeta how much the organization should charge, but rather provides the variables and
expense items that could be considered to determine how much Planeta wants to charge, in
excess of covering costs. Rather than providing static costs that may be different by the time
the next trip is being planned, the calculator was devised as a way for Planeta to regularly adapt
5
its pricing to market fluctuations and programmatic changes. A supporting projections tool has
also been provided that will use fee calculator data to assist Planeta with forecasting future
earnings, expenses, and profit based on the expected number of each type of trip annually.
Recommendations include:
●● Customize the expense items and their costs in the fee calculator for each trip (or as
often as needed) to ensure that the fees charged to participants strike the right balance
between affordability and covering Planeta’s needs.
●● Use the fee calculator and projections calculator together to manage operating expenses
and revenue strategically over both the immediate and long term.
4. Planeta reported a history of long term retention challenges and sought related input from the
team regarding its human resources. The Columbia team engaged the organization’s employees
and provided recommendations for improved personnel management and procedural guidance
for conducting the program tours, which include the following:
●● Develop and implement protocols for employees and management
●● Create systems for employee feedback in a small office environment
●● Identify employee growth opportunities as Planeta expands into new program
6
Introduction
Peru Overview
As one of Latin America’s most robust and least volatile economies in recent years, Peru
outpaces the rest of South America in terms of fiscal growth. Peru is a continental leader in
trade, emphasizing international and trans-pacific free trade agreements as a member in
trade alliances. Agriculture makes up 7.5% of the economy, specializing in exports of coffee,
coca, cotton, and sugar (Central Intelligence Agency, 2017). The industry and service sectors
make up the remainder of the economy, specializing in petrol extraction and refining, fish and
fish processing, tourism, and the mining of copper, silver, lead, zinc, oil, and gold (Mining &
Minerals Investment Guide, 2017). Perhaps because of the emphasis on international trade,
chronic underdevelopment abounds in rural areas while poverty has declined over last decade
in urban centers like Lima (OECD, 2015). Subsequently, roughly 50% of the population in Peru
live in the coast in Lima and Callao (INEI, 2015).
With the heart of the economy in the cities, this leaves a strong opportunity for tourism, the
3rd largest industry in Peru, to empower the country’s disadvantaged non-urban communities.
Situated in a non-urban area, Machu Picchu was awarded World’s Leading Tourist Destination
by the World Travel Awards (WLTA, 2017), suggesting a significant opportunity for additional
in-country tourism. According to a 2014 survey, a majority of Peru’s foreign tourists hail from
neighboring countries in South America (especially Chile), the United States, and Spain (Perfil
del Turista Extranjero, 2014).
Peru contains three different types of land use: agriculture, rainforest (including Peruvian
Amazon), and urban development (Central Intelligence Agency, 2017). A portion of land is
owned by native fishing communities by the coast. One of these communities exists in the
coastal region of Tumbes, home to about 500,000 residents. The economy is based around
fishing, livestock, and tourism (Chapilliquen, R., 2017).
Environmental Description of the Region
Tumbes is nestled within the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena hotspot. This 1,500 kilometer territory
ranges from the southern portion of the Panama Canal, along the western coasts of Columbia
and Ecuador, to the northwestern tip of Peru. It is home to a diverse array of habitats, including
rainforests, dry forests, mangrove forests, beaches, rocky shore lines, deserts, scrub, and
7
coastal wilderness (Caley et al., 2007). According to Oceana Peru, the waters off of the coast of
Tumbes and Piura support 70% of the extensive marine biodiversity that makes Peru the world’s
largest fishing country (by weight) (Guy, A., 2016). With so much biodiversity condensed into
such a small area, the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena hotspot represents one of the world’s most
prominent areas of endemism and speciation.
Tumbes is a microcosm of this hotspot. Here, a relatively small geographic region on the
northern coast of Peru is packed with an array of ecosystems, with 50% of the land in the region
reserved for national parks. Tourist destinations in the area include Puerto Pizarro, where
tourists can visit mangroves as well as a crocodile breeding farms. From July to November,
many foreigners visit the area for its humpback whale tours on the water. The Hervideros Hot
Springs is another draw for the region. At the northernmost tip of its border with Ecuador is
the town of El Bendito, home to the Santuario Nacional Los Manglares de Tumbes, a Peruvian
mangrove Sanctuary. To the west lies the Reserva Nacional de Tumbes, an animal-rich tropical
rainforest. To the south is the Parque Nacional Cerros de Amotape, known for its dense, tall, dry
forests. Separating these forests and the beach coast are an assortment of dry desert conditions
and scrub landscapes, defining the region as a ring of ecological activity with a relatively barren
center.
Manta Ray Biology & Threats Facing the Species
Manta birostris is a relatively young species, as the genus Manta was considered to be monotypic
until 2009, when it was split into the reef manta ray (M. alfredi) and the giant manta ray (M.
birostris) (Manta birostris, 2018). Truly gentle giants, M. birostris can have a wingspan of up to
23 feet and weigh over 4,000 lbs (Manta Ray Research, 2018). M. birostris has the largest brain-
to-body ratio of all boned fishes (Manta Ray Research, 2018), and has been noted by researchers
and tourists alike for its innate level of curiosity. The species has few natural predators (Manta
birostris, 2018) and is classified as a planktivore, meaning its diet consists almost entirely of
microscopic life forms throughout the ocean (Burgess et al., 2016). Furthermore, the species’
dietary consumption and breathing are entirely incumbent on its locomotion. It continually
travels the ocean with an open mouth, allowing water and food to pass over its gills, providing
both oxygen and sustenance in a single gulp. Given this characteristic, it is unsurprising that M.
birostris is a migratory species, found in temperate ocean waters throughout the globe (Manta
birostris, 2018). There is no consensus regarding their lifespans, but researchers believe they
can live to at least 40 years of age under the right conditions (Manta birostris, 2018). Crucially,
the species is known for its low biotic potential, with females giving birth to only one to two
pups over a period of two to five years (Manta Ray Research, 2018).
8
With such a low reproductive potential, the manta is unfortunately vulnerable to anthropogenic
exploitation. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the species
‘vulnerable’ in its Red List of Threatened Species due to overharvesting (Marshall, 2011). Globally,
the manta is primarily vulnerable to targeting and bycatch from commercial and artisanal
fisheries (Croll et al., 2015). Since the 1990’s, the demand for pre-branchial gill plates for Asian
medicinal uses has exploded in southern China, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, and the Philippines
(Croll et al., 2015), and is largely responsible for the IUCN’s designation. Anthropogenic threats
to manta rays are not just species specific. As filter feeders, these creatures are threatened
by microplastic pollution by humans (Germanov et al., 2018). Additionally, researchers have
begun to showcase the diverse ecosystem interactions that affect the incidence of manta rays
in a given region (McCauley et al., 2012). Needless to say, ecosystem disruptions caused by
anthropogenic interference have a deleterious impact on manta ray populations.
Legal Protections
Manta birostris’ ‘vulnerable’ status led to its protection under two key international conventions.
The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS), is an
international agreement stipulating conservation of species which regularly cross national
boundaries (Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species, 1979). M. birostris was
included in Appendix I and II of the Convention in 2011, which recognizes that the species faces
the potential threat of extinction and that international cooperation would benefit the species
(Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species, 1979). The Convention on International
Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) regulates the trade of products
using animal or plant components from threatened or potentially threatened species. The
Convention improves the transparency and traceability of traded products through restrictions
and permitting requirements (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species,
1973). Protection of all manta ray species, including M. birostris, was expanded under CITES in
2014 (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, 1973).
In late 2015, Peru adopted national legislation banning the fishing of giant rays, and requiring
any rays accidentally fished as bycatch to be returned to the ocean, ensuring that their meat
cannot be sold (Neme, 2016). The legislation follows the significant advocacy and conservation
work by Planeta Océano, WildAid, and The Manta Trust (e.g. Mulvaney, 2016).
9
Ecotourism Project Background
Over the past decade, Director Kerstin Forsberg has built an organization dedicated to marine
research, education, community impact and advocacy. Since 2012, Lima-based Planeta Océano
has increased its level of engagement with Northern Peruvian communities in both conservation
research and education. The organization aims to instill these communities with a sense of
ownership, and pride in the conservation of the giant manta ray and other marine species. These
communities exhibit a high dependency on fishing for household income, which has begun to
negatively impact marine life and biodiversity through overfishing and bycatch (Pereira, 2017).
To address these issues, Planeta saw benefits in implementing an ecotourism and voluntourism
program, which would use local artisanal fishers as boat-tour guides for the manta-rich coast.
In doing so, Planeta will provide these communities with enhanced economic opportunities and
will increase conservation engagement in the Tumbes region.
Planeta is developing partnerships with other NGOs and plans to begin offering citizen-science
and conservation focused educational programs by 2019. Planeta approached the Columbia team
interested in exploring options for additional programs, including opportunities for programs
run solely by Planeta Océano.
Business Plan for Ecotourism
The team was asked to review Planeta Océano’s own initial program drafts as well as existing
plans for ecotourism programs with partner NGOs and develop a new enhanced business model
that would promote Planeta’s further development of community-based ecotourism and self-
financed international volunteering (voluntourism) programs in the Tumbes Region of Peru
(hereby referred to as “eco/voluntourism”).
Ecotourism: The team has accepted the definition of ecotourism developed by non-profit
The International Ecotourism Society in 2015 “responsible travel to natural areas that
conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves
interpretation and education” (TIES, 2015).
10Voluntourism: The team has drawn on other definitions of voluntourism (e.g. Projects
Abroad, 2018) to define voluntourism as a cousin of ecotourism, where participants pay to
engage in international volunteer activities, which benefit the local people, and involves
interpretation and education. For Planeta Océano, volunteer activities will also heavily
reflect the ecotourism principles of environmental conservation.
Vision and Mission
Planeta Océano envisions becoming the premier organization for giant manta ray eco/
voluntourism in the Tumbes region of Peru within the next 5 years. These activities will
complement their existing missions of marine research, conservation, advocacy, community
engagement and development, and education. Ecotourists will add a revenue stream to
Planeta’s work in providing sustainable alternative livelihoods to local fishers. Volunteer
tourists (voluntours) will additionally contribute to Planeta’s research and education missions
while engaging with the local community.
Learnings from SWOT Analysis
The team undertook a SWOT analysis to better understand the organization, utilizing its
findings to create an ecotourism/voluntourism (eco/voluntourism) program.
In summary, Planeta’s small size means that the organization is not burdened by bureaucratic
challenges and can adapt swiftly to change if needed. However, the small size also means
fewer funding streams and a lack of resources (i.e. staff, materials, funding). In addition,
the niche focus in a biodiverse but underdeveloped region means new initiatives may grow
slower than desired. Planeta’s strong reputation can help open doors to opportunities like
corporate sponsorships and/or grants that can aid ventures like a new boat, equipment, etc.
Furthermore, there is untapped tourism potential including local interest to visit these areas.
There are inherent safety risks to the type of program Planeta is interested in, as well as risks
due to Planeta’s inexperience providing customer-facing services and decision to rely on non-
employee, local tour guides (fishers). These risks can be reduced or mitigated with adequate
training, procedures, terms of contract, and liability insurance, and will require significant
forethought and attention.
11SWOT Analysis
(+) Strengths (-) Weaknesses
• Small, thus agile • Limited and restricted financial
• Local, community based resources
• Well-known founder and reputation • Management bottlenecks
Internal
and credibility of organization • Employee turnover
• Synergies between organization and • ‘Niche’ scope
program • Safety risks associated with planned
• Capacity for program growth and program
impact • Inexperience in customer-facing
• Strong alignment between services
organization’s mission and • Infrastructure not currently
potential program demand equipped for Planned program
• Program can serve as a research/ • Remote program location
Education platform for the
organization
(+) Opportunities (-) Threats
• ‘Free’ funding positioning • Ecosystem degradation
• Demand for programming from • Giant manta ray stigma
diverse market segments • Fishers losing interest in slow-to-
External
• Interest in alternative livelihoods launch program
from the community • Programs are reliant on non-
• Support from donors / sponsorship employee partners (fishers)
• Timing of launch of program • Tourist companies
• Many examples of how other
organizations have dealt with safety
risks and other issues associated
with program activities
Fig. 1) The above figure is a graphical representation of the team’s SWOT analysis. Blue text refers specifically to eco/
voluntourism programs, while black text refers to the organization as a whole.
12SWOT Recommendation Highlights
●● Broaden target markets to include locals, and offer multiple programs tailored to needs
of each market segment
●● Implement planned programs in phases, to maximize organizational capabilities
●● Consider rotational programs based on best times of year for certain species
●● Contact companies for partnerships and sponsorships
●● Work with appropriate legal entities to ensure liability insurance, documents and
planning are adequate
●● Develop safety and customer service training and procedures for fishers
●● Ensure all vendors (fishers included) have a formalized contract agreement detailing
the terms of the arrangement, responsibilities of both parties, and liability (where
applicable)
Organizational and Business Objectives
Planeta Océano currently operates as a non-profit organization, reliant on grant funding to
support its operations. Director Kerstin Forsberg envisions future ecotourism/voluntourism
programs operating under a separate, for-profit arm of the organization. Despite the term
“for-profit,” the short- to medium-term goal is to provide exceptional eco/voluntourism
experiences that offer enough revenue for the programs to be self-sustaining and cover all
associated costs. This will financially support the fishers engaged in the program, provide the
fishermen’s association with an additional source of revenue through a small percentage of
profit-sharing, and cover Planeta’s additional expenses while they grow the program. Planeta’s
long-term goals include generating enough revenue from the for-profit programs to help
fund the non-profit organization. This would alleviate some staff resources devoted to grant
writing and securing other sources of funding for the non-profit. Figure 2 illustrates Planeta’s
envisioned finance structure.
13For-Profit Non - Profit
Funding Activities Goals Funding Activities Goals
Program fees Single-day eco- Financially Grants Research Support
(ticketing) revenue tourism trips self-sustaining alternative
program, or able Crowdfunding Conservation livelihoods in the
Weeklong to generate small activities and community
voluntourism trips profits to feed the Percentage of advocacy
non-profit arm profits from Improve manta
Collaborative program fees Community and marine
trips with partner Generate engagement and protection
organiazations awareness for education
non-profit’s Generate
conservation awareness
work for for-profit
program
Fig 2) This graphic is not intended to convey all activities that each organization could engage in, but rather to illustrate the
division of types of activities and funding between them.
Strategy
Planeta will partner with other NGOs to offer collaborative citizen science voluntourism trips
by the summer of 2019. Some partners may only provide enough funding to cover trip expenses
for paid volunteer participants, contributing to Planeta’s short term goals of self-sustaining
trips but falling short of its longer-term financial goals. Other partners may be able to provide
Planeta with more funding to reinforce the non-profit arm of the organization, alongside
Planeta’s own eco/voluntourism programs which will aim to do the same.
Action Plan
The ecotourism program, which will draw on a readily available target market in Tumbes and
its neighboring coastal region of Máncora. will be most easily implemented and thus allow
Planeta Océano to build organizational capacity, tap into a more immediate revenue stream and
to learn from this initial expansion before implementing more involved programs. Planeta’s
engagement with partner NGOs to implement voluntourism programs built around citizen-
science curricula in 2019 will similarly allow Planeta to “test the waters” with a longer and
more involved program before implementing a long program with complex activities on their
own.
14Planeta will engage with several important stakeholder groups to roll out its internal and
partner programs within the next 2 years and to achieve its goal of becoming the premier manta
ray ecotourism organization within the next 5 years.
Fishers and Fishers’ Association
Planeta Océano is working with the Asociación Ecoturística de Pescadores Artesanales Mantas
Pacífico Tropical to prepare local fishers to act as ecotourism guides on manta boat trips. This
arrangement will benefit each organization as well as the marine ecosystem:
1) The local fishers will benefit economically from Planeta Océano’s tourism activities, and
the association will receive a small percentage of the profits in addition to the salary/
fees earned by each fisher.
2) Planeta will be able to maintain a contract-type relationship with the fishers, offering
Planeta, as a small organization, flexibility in its capacity building during this expansion
and opportunity to positively impact the local community.
3) On a small scale, the marine ecosystem will benefit directly, as any economic activity
that is redirected from fishing toward ecotourism will relieve pressure on the fisheries.
As Planeta plans to work with an initial group of 10 fishers, this direct impact will be
small. A much bigger opportunity to benefit the marine ecosystem is the indirect impact,
stemming from the organization’s, program’s, and fishers’ education and conservation
efforts. Educating the community and raising awareness around the manta as a flagship
species can contribute to an increased understanding of the importance of protecting
marine environments as a whole and the need for more sustainable fisheries.
In January of 2018, Planeta began working with Peruvian tourism consulting firm StrategiK on
a pro-bono basis. StrategiK conducted a focus group with the fisher’s association to understand
their goals and vision for their partnership with Planeta and arrived at the following 10 year
vision statement (translated from Spanish):
By 2028, the Asociación Ecoturística de Pescadores Artesanales Mantas Pacífico Tropical will be
recognized as a sustainable tourism company (social, environmental, economic) and positioned in the
market for its quality of service, commitment and shared work of its members, as well as offering a
quality product that makes tourism a tool of conservation and economic development for the district
of Zorritos in the Tumbes region.
15Planeta will need to continue working with the fishers ahead of the program launch. Key
activities will include:
1) Safety and first aid training
2) On-board procedure training (i.e. division of labor among crew, learn script etc.)
3) Customer service training
4) Protocols for working with Planeta - (i.e. how will fishers receive payment etc.)
Planeta Océano Employees
All but one of Planeta Océano’s regular staff currently operate out of the Lima office,
necessitating a plane flight to the Tumbes region to interact with the fishers, the Association,
and the greater Tumbes community. As Planeta moves forward with the new programs, it will
need to consider the organizational capacity building necessary to grow the program and how
that growth will impact current employees. See Human Resource Management Section.
Program Structure
The purpose of implementing an eco/voluntourism program is two-fold. Over the past decade,
the organization has dedicated itself to promoting community engagement in the research
and education of manta ray conservation. A community-oriented eco/voluntourism program
would work to further enhance the conservation of giant mantas in the area, elevate local
engagement in their research and education, and through protecting the flagship Manta
species, Planeta Océano will promote the conservation of the greater marine biodiversity of
the Tumbes Peru region. The program itself is intended to be run by artisanal fishers from the
area. This will provide participating locals with a sustainable alternative livelihood, as many of
northern Peru’s coastal communities are reliant on fishing for household income (FAO, 2018).
The goal for Planeta is to promote manta ray conservation, protect marine biodiversity and
generate superior means of income for locals by implementing a program of manta ray-focused
ecotourism.
16In the process of developing an eco/voluntourism program structure for Planeta Océano, the
team interviewed a number of established NGOs in order to better understand their approach to
creating comparable programs within their organizations. More specifically, the team reached
out to leading NGOs with similar eco/voluntourism business models, and programs based in
areas with a socioeconomic status similar to that of Peru. Questions concerning target markets,
program design and itinerary, timelines, and costs, were posed to interviewees to better
inform the program created for Planeta. Questions surrounding program schematics - housing
options, research opportunities, and community impact and engagement also informed the
team’s program structure and recommendations, discussed further below. Through research,
these interviews with NGOs, and a survey of universities (see page 23), the team identified the
program’s target client demographics.
Table 1, detailing the program target markets, focus and implementation timeline is displayed
on the following page. Full program schedules designed by the team are included in Appendix
A. The team developed a series of documents to support Planeta Océano in its implementation
of the programs. Some are based on initial drafts of documents submitted by Planeta and some
were created entirely by the team.
Supporting Documents
●● Overview of Changes to Support Documents
●● Program Protocol: Role of Each Actor
●● Instructions for Services on Board & Code of Conduct for Visitors
●● Fisher’s Script Draft (Full speech, and don’t-miss highlights)
●● Security, Supply and Equipment Checklists
●● Post-Trip Survey Draft
●● Post-Trip Thank you email
●● List of Lima accommodations -associated with Scholar program
●● Portable Bathroom Options for First Aid Kit
17Program Comparison
Name of Length of Focus of Trip Target Market Program
Program Trip Implementation
Goal
(assuming legal
documentation
and certifications
are in place)
Nomad 1 day Swim with manta Regional 3-6 months
excursion; departure tourists
from Zorritos area traveling
from Ecuador
by bus; Lima
holidayers;
backpackers;
locals already
in the Zorritos
area
Jetsetter 1 day Swim with manta International 3-6 months
excursion; pickup and Regional
from Máncora. area tourists in the
Máncora. area
Scholar 7 days in Conservation and US and other 15-18 months
Tumbes; marine biology undergraduate
additional focused experience students
days may be including manta and
required for plankton research
travel opportunities as
well as cultural
engagement
Expeditioner 7 days in Conservation and International 3+ years
Tumbes; citizen-science tourists;
additional opportunities and individuals;
days may be swim with manta couples;
required for opportunities; families
travel cultural, ecotourism
activities and rest &
relaxation activities
Table 1) Compares the length, focus, target market, and program implementation goal for each of the programs
designed by the team. Detailed program schedules can be found in the appendices.
18Program-Specific Recommendations
Nomad and Jetsetter
The Nomad program is a single day boat trip and manta ray snorkel excursion leaving from one
of three docking locations in the Tumbes area (La Cruz, Acapulco, or Zorritos). The Jetsetter
program is also a single-day excursion mimicking the Nomad program, but accommodating
tourists staying in the popular area of Máncora. Implementing this program will allow Planeta
Océano to reach beyond the tourists/locals in the immediate Zorritos area.
●● The Jetsetter has an early morning start time due to travel to the boat launch site and
the need for the boat trip to end between 1-2pm as winds arise in the afternoon, making
later returns difficult. Planeta should include questions about the start, end time, length
of trip and overall experience on the post-trip survey. Planeta should adjust the program
based on feedback.
●● The Jetsetter program requires transport for tourists. Planeta will either need to
engage a tourism agency, hire a service specifically for transport purposes, or consider
introducing an internal mode of transportation. While using a service (public or private)
for transport may be sufficient in the short term, serious consideration should be
allocated to introducing an internal mode of transport with a dedicated driver. This
staff member could fill multiple roles, with this being their central responsibility. The
upfront cost of this may be high, but internalizing this cost would likely save money in
the long run, particularly if multiple programs require frequent transport (such as the
Scholar program). Liability concerns and insurance should be considered.
Scholar
The team designed a 7-day conservation and marine-biology focused program targeting
undergraduate students.
●● Planeta expressed the desire not to be responsible for program participants in Lima,
Peru as they connect through the Lima airport onto the Tumbes region. The program
itinerary reflects this. The team recommends Planeta schedule the travel day on a date
when there is a morning and evening Lima to Tumbes flight in case of flight delays. In
case a participant is unable to arrange a same-day connecting flight to Tumbes, the team
recommends that Planeta advise the participant to arrive in Lima the day prior. Planeta
would provide the participant a list of recommended transportation options from and to
the airport, hotel accommodations, local restaurants, and an emergency Planeta contact
number. The team recommends that a staff person be available to join the participant(s)
for dinner in the hotel if patrons desire.
19●● Future recommendation - If the Scholar program is successful, the team recommends
building out a second, similar program with greater emphasis on the community and
cultural exchange components, rather than blending these broad interests into a single
program. If there is sufficient demand to support multiple weeks of the program,
delineating between specific interests would allow students to find a program that best
suits their needs. Potential students have many choices in this market due to significant
competition from other international volunteer and study abroad opportunities.
The team believes that offering a tailored experience will attract the targeted market
segment.
Expeditioner
●● Planeta indicated early on the desire to focus on only the single-day ecotourism program
and Scholar program, so the team has kept its recommendations and program for the
Expeditioner limited.
●● Given the potential difficulty of breaking into the study abroad/university trip market that
the team learned of from its phone interviews with universities (see University Survey
section page 23) as well as the limited schedules of students, the team recommends
Planeta continue to explore additional target demographics. The team identified other
successful conservation ecotourism programs which attracted individuals, couples, and
families. Activities included citizen-science, conservation activities (e.g. shepherding
newly hatched sea turtles into the ocean), and rest & relaxation opportunities (e.g.
downtime to kayak or snorkel).
●● Planeta expressed a desire to include more cultural exchange activities such as surf
lessons, art classes, and cooking classes, particularly as Western couples and families
are likely willing to spend more money than undergraduate students, and the activities
are not intended to be academic in nature.
Opportunities for Long-Term Impact on Community
There are significant opportunities for tourism to impact the local economy through the
multiplier effect, where an influx of tourist dollars can create a ripple of secondary and tertiary
spending in the community (Barcelona Field Studies Centre). While the long-term impact
findings fall outside the scope of this report’s primary recommendations, the team interviewed
several NGOs which provided insights into opportunities for long-term community impact and
can provide a model as Planeta Océano’s programs grow.
20General Program Recommendations
Program Phasing, Implementation, and Timing
To allow Planeta Océano to build necessary operational capabilities and avoid overburden
during implementation, the team recommends that Planeta implement the programs in phases.
Single-day programs could be implemented in a first phase to provide Planeta the necessary
expertise and coordination with the fishers before implementing any multi-day programs.
Planeta should work with their NGO partners to implement the joint multi-day voluntourism
programs before implementing their own weeklong programs. Phasing allows Planeta to ensure
each program is executed with enough resources and allows for quality control. If there is high
variability in days/times/locations for best manta sightings, Planeta should use the research
data over time to inform trip scheduling to cut down on wasted/idle time for participants and
guides and maximize the experience on a day-to-day basis.
Safety and First Aid
There are significant safety and other risks associated with the planned programs that need to
be addressed properly to ensure the longevity and success of the program. In addition to the
wellbeing of program participants, staff, and fishers, poor safety/first aid handling can result in
extremely damaging reviews and reputation. As such, this aspect requires significant planning,
forethought, and coordination with various agencies (i.e. coast guard, proper liability insurance
etc.)
Safety and first aid equipment, equipment checklists, and protocols must be developed, updated,
and maintained.
●● Planeta should retain legal counsel to develop appropriate liability waivers. Liability
waivers should be developed in accordance with national law and ecotourism best practice.
Waivers should be tailored to each program’s associated activities as appropriate.
●● Planeta should develop appropriate age restrictions/guidelines with the
advisement of legal counsel. Relevant questions to determine might be:
●● Will non-swimmers be able to participate but not swim?
●● At what age can children participate in swimming?
●● Must all minor children wear life jackets in the water?
●● If not, must all parents or guardians have signed an additional liability waiver
indicating their minor child will not be wearing a life jacket and at what age
would Planeta permit this?
●● As a sanitary measure, the team recommends that each boat carry an emergency portable
bathroom in its first aid kit.
●● Fishers and all staff associated with trips must be trained in safety and first aid
procedures.
21Vendor Contracts
Launching the single-day and the multi-day program will potentially bring Planeta into
contract with many vendors. Planeta will need to require the following items before entering
into a vendor agreement.
●● Vendor qualifications
●● Safety considerations and track record
●● Liability arrangement and insurance
Both the Association and individual fishers should be treated as vendors, and written contracts
should be in place establishing an understanding of the arrangement and mutual responsibilities
of each party. According to StrategiK, a pro-bono consulting group engaged by Planeta, fishers
have high expectations in terms of financial gain. Introducing a contract will help mitigate
unreasonable expectations and provide Planeta documentation of responsibilities in the event
that a relationship ever needs to be terminated.
22University Survey
Planeta Océano envisions establishing and building long-term partnerships with universities in
order to maintain the sustainability of their eco/voluntourism program. The team was tasked
with surveying universities to assess the feasibility of establishing these partnerships to offer
the program to students.
Methodology
Survey design: Planeta designed an initial survey presenting their program, and discussing
university partnerships and program details. The team’s redesigned survey raised questions
tailored around university requirements for study abroad programs, their collaboration with
third-party organizations, and financial information relevant to Planeta’s program costs. The
team also surveyed opportunities for Planeta’s potential partnerships with the institutions.
Outreach: Three approaches were made to reach out to contacts: an introductory email with
information on the program, organization, and deliverable; “cold-calls” that introduced
our research goals and desired survey outcomes; and follow-up calls to any emails with no
response. The team offered university contacts the choice of completing the survey via an online
questionnaire or a short phone call.
Contacts: U.S. and international universities with marine biology programs were identified
through online research and Planeta’s existing resource documents. Contact was made to both
departmental directors and professors, as well as university study abroad offices.
23Survey results and Go-to-market recommendations
We surveyed 10 university contacts. Below are highlights of the survey results.
1. While 9/10 respondents collaborate with organizations for academic trips, 6/8 partner with
the same organizations each year.1 Respondents work with organizations with whom they
have long-standing relationships, and seek to maintain partnerships to ensure stable access
to facilities in the program location.
●● This can create a significant barrier to entry for establishing university partnerships.
Rather than casting a wide net, the team recommends building strong personal
connections with 2-3 strong leads among professors, department heads, or study abroad
officials (see Sections 2 and 4 below). Building strong personal connections can help
Planeta Océano establish relationships needed to maintain partnerships and enhance
the credibility of both the program and organization.
2. One respondent said their university looks at potential partners’ track record with other
schools (they typically seek out recommendations from schools with whom they have worked)
and consider what they offer, including staff on site during the experience, insurance, health
and safety protocols, and host family options. Another university conducts a comprehensive
review of all potential programs’ academic and student support services, looking for academic
connections within the university’s colleges and/or departments. A final respondent said
that when they start a new program, they either seek out a recommendation from the
organization’s previous partners, or recommendations from their faculty. If there is no
connection, it is extremely unlikely that they would work with a new provider.
●● As such, Planeta might consider hosting faculty seminars on location. These seminars
would allow faculty to learn more about Planeta’s program, see the organization’s
facilities, and meet the team. Establishing firsthand contact will allow Planeta to
promote their program directly to faculty who would advocate for the program within
their university.
3. Three respondents said that academic trips have to be at least 4 weeks long for students to
receive credit, and only one respondent said that trips can be as short as one week long.
●● This will be important for Planeta to consider when planning both the length and
structure of their program for university students. The team recommends Alternative
Spring Break (ASB), mentioned by one respondent, as a solution for short-term volunteer
travel abroad. During ASB (~1 week), students travel abroad to do service learning and
volunteer work. While this differs from formal study abroad, and likely does not allow
1 Two respondents gave ambiguous or unclear answers to this question.
24students to receive credit for work done, it will allow Planeta to implement a short-
term program targeted at university students. The team also recommends using the
initial program structure as a guide when first approaching universities and/or faculty
members. This will allow Planeta to build out the one-week “template” into a longer
program that would satisfy study abroad length requirements in the future.
4. International academic trips for the universities contacted take place between December
and February (university winter break) and May or August (university summer break). One
respondent replied that trips must be taken over school breaks (i.e. summer and winter), while
Alternative Spring Break takes place during March or April.
●● Planeta should take this into account when planning the timing of university-led trips.
5. In some universities, professors can select the partner organizations they would like to
work with to create faculty-led study abroad programs. According to one respondent, faculty-
led trips are initiated with the faculty’s research connections with whom they have logistical
connections with on the ground.
●● Informal connections and networking with faculty through participation in conferences,
seminars, etc. is one option for establishing partnerships with universities. Attending
study abroad fairs at universities is one specific way for Planeta to “break in” to the
university forum, advertise programs to students, and meet potential faculty partners
face-to-face.
6. 6/8 respondents said they bring professors with them on academic trips.2 One respondent
also pointed out that some of these trips are taught by university faculty, some of whom
are local to the region. The latter respondent also said that during faculty-led trips, faculty
members create programs overseas and use host institutions as a “support service” for help in
creating these programs.
●● Planeta should consider including professor-led activities/lectures in their eco/
voluntourism programs, and be prepared to be flexible with program criteria and
itineraries.
7. According to most respondents, an average of 15 students/participants attend per trip. Two
respondents, however, said that trips can be as large as 30 students.
●● Planeta should take this into account when planning boat trips, activities, transportation,
housing, etc.
8. One respondent said that program requirements for study abroad programs must be
equivalent to a course taught on the university’s campus. Another respondent said that the
2 Two respondents did not address this question in their answers.
25program must include university requirements for academic credit.
●● Planeta should research the requirements of the universities they wish to target and
include necessary elements in their programs to make their program more attractive
to potential partners.
9. According to respondents, universities partner with:
- Government organizations of specified countries (Ministry of Fisheries, Ministry of
Tourism, etc.)
- Local universities, NGOs, and community groups
- Third-party hosting organizations (Foundation for Sustainable Development, Child
Family Health International, etc.)
●● A majority of these groups are non-profit organizations. Planeta should take this into
consideration when developing future business models.
General Findings and Recommendations
●● Study abroad offices have a more thorough knowledge of university program and
financial requirements than most professors and program directors. For answers to
program-specific questions (i.e. requirements for inclusion in university programs, fee
structures, etc.), initial contact might be best directed towards these offices.
●● Some universities only work with education abroad accredited programs. According
to the International Studies Abroad (ISA), the accrediting bodies of most countries is
the Ministry of Education for the respective country.3 In other cases, the institution is
accredited by U.S.-based accreditation agencies (International Studies Abroad, 2018).
Several databases and directories provide information on program accreditation,
including the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), a U.S.-based
organization that collaborates with 3,000 degree-granting universities and 60
institutional/programmatic accrediting organizations worldwide (Council for Higher
Education Accreditation, 2018). While seeking accreditation can be a long process,
having it can put more weight and credibility behind the program.
3 Contacts in Peru, for reference:
Ministry of Education - San Borja, Peru - 615-5800 - www.minedu.gob.pe/
Superintendencia Nacional de EducaciÛn Superior - Lima, Peru - (511) 500-3930 - www.sunedu.gob.pe/
26Marketing
Marketing will play a key role in Planeta Océano’s ability to launch a successful ecotourism
program.
Marketing Outlets
●● Social media - Planeta should maintain its social media accounts with upcoming
programs, registration information, and updates (photos and posts) from past
excursions. Planeta’s social media managers should stay up-to-date with current
platforms and trends in order to craft messages that relate to the widest audience.
●● Brochures - The team created several brochures for Planeta using an online design tool
called Canva. With this program, Planeta can print up to 250,000 brochures for free
(exclusive of print costs). With the provided log-in information, Planeta will be able to
update the brochures as needed. Additional draft content and example brochures are
included in Appendix B.
Advertising Recommendations
●● Many hotels and restaurants carry brochures of local attractions and programs, either at
the front desk or on public display in a lobby area. Planeta should explore establishing a
relationship with hotels and restaurants to carry brochures.
●● During the high tourist season, Planeta’s future Tumbes hire could regularly visit high
traffic areas in Máncora to pass out brochures and engage tourists.
Marketing Recommendations
●● One target market segment, the team identified through interviews with representatives
from StrategiK and another NGO, as an opportunity for the single-day Nomad program
are regional tourists from Ecuador who take buses South to Peru. Planeta could market
to the transit companies, to help make the target market aware of the program prior to
arrival in the area.
●● Planeta should distribute brochures to local institutions in the Tumbes region and could
host a launch party with sign-up dates. The team’s research and interviews with affiliate
NGOs indicated that some locals were not aware of the tourism opportunity that giant
manta rays could provide and were interested in paying for the experience themselves.
27Photography
Planeta Océano has indicated the ability to take photographs of tourists on ecotourism trips.
Recommendations
●● Include either notification that participation in trip constitutes consent for Planeta
Océano use of their image in its marketing materials, or include an opt-out checkbox on
registration form/liability waiver.
●● Include option for tourist to list their email address to receive photos and additional
communication from Planeta post-trip on post-trip survey.
●● Distribute photos to tourists post-trip via email. This action can also form the basis for
future email newsletter outreach campaigns.
●● Encourage tourists to share photos of the trip on their own social media accounts with
suggested hashtags.
Employee and Contractor Visibility
Employees represent the organization each time they engage in activities outside the office
on behalf of Planeta. An employee uniform, shirt, or hat bearing the Planeta Océano logo will
increase the organization’s visibility.
Recommendations
●● Staff should be given a branded shirt or other item (e.g. hat) for out-of-office work.
●● Volunteers should also have a branded shirt, serving the same visibility purpose and also
as a staff equalizer.
●● Branded shirts should be secured for all of the fishers who will act as local guides for
Planeta’s ecotourism programs. Though they will not be employees, they will represent
the organization. A shirt bearing the logo of both Planeta and the Asociación Ecoturística
de Pescadores Artesanales Mantas Pacífico Tropical could be designed.
28Global Giving
In unveiling its new mission to sustainably develop and empower communities through manta
ray conservation, Planeta Océano tasked the team with creating a crowdfunding campaign
to help fund the first steps for the program to get off the ground. The goal was to create and
consolidate community-based manta ecotourism while developing alternative livelihoods for
local artisanal fisherman. Planeta’s initial target totaled $8,500 (USD), budgeted for a new
ecotourism boat, safety supplies and first aid, a permanent exhibit for the new education center,
and preliminary visits to the exhibit by local schools.
The team drafted several narrative concepts to present Planeta in the most marketable light to
Global Giving, a nonprofit that connects donors with grassroots projects around the world. The
team reviewed previous narratives, donation suggestions, and similar projects that received
substantial funding. Planeta finalized the team’s draft and published the final version in
March 2018. The campaign was accepted into Global Giving’s March 2018 Accelerator program,
allowing it to compete for bonus prizes. As of April 24, the fundraiser has raised over $3,602
dollars from 57 donors.
Image 1
29Finance
Fee Calculator for Eco/Voluntourism Programs
The fee calculator is a tool to enable Planeta Océano to determine the appropriate program
fees to charge participants for the Nomad, Jestsetter, and Scholar experiences. Importantly,
it is not designed to advise Planeta how much the organization should charge, but rather to
provide all of the variables and expense items that could be considered to determine how much
Planeta wants to charge, in excess of covering costs, in one template. Program fees will be at
the discretion of Planeta. A calculator is provided instead of fee recommendations, because
this will be more useful to Planeta for more precise cost determination over time. There may
be some variation in activities from trip to trip, and the associated costs for activities as well
as logistics and travel requirements (staff airfare, boat and vehicle fuel, etc) will fluctuate
over time. Rather than providing static costs that may be different by the time the next trip is
being planned, the calculator was devised as a way for Planeta to regularly adapt it’s pricing to
market fluctuations and programmatic changes.
This tool allows for high customization of the activities for individual excursions, as well
as expenses. For example, a six-person Scholar trip departing from Acapulco in the Spring
may have different boat-related expenses and participant activities than an eleven-person
excursion departing La Cruz in the Fall. It is also likely that activities and costs will change
over time, and the calculator allows for this adjustment.
Two key features of the calculator will enable Planeta to use the tool for financial management
beyond covering the costs of the boat excursions. The first is an optional allocation to
individual trips within the calculator of central costs (marketing, ticketing, etc.) related to
the excursions, thereby removing the need to budget for and fund these expenses from grant
money. The second is the “revenue above cost” calculator, which Planeta can use to determine
the profit margin required to cover, over time, necessary funding that is not specific to the
excursions. Initially, these are expected to be the contributions to the Fisher’s Association,
contributions to the manta conservation work, and the salary of the administrative manager
that will be hired.
See Appendix C for a blank example fee calculator for the “Scholar” program.
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